"And They Said I'd Never Sing and Dance: How I learned that I can do anything eight times a week in Mr. Burns

"I don't know if I could do that eight times a week." That's what I was thinking while watching a play on Broadway, just before coming to UCSD. The emotional availability, and vocal demands, seemed daunting. I was a working actor in New York, but I what I was doing, wasn't really working for me. So I came here in pursuit of a very specific skill set...musical theater. Getting to work on Mr. Burns was a thrilling, frustrating, and surprisingly perfect way to end my time here. I had never been in a "musical" before, nor had the desire, but was excited to tackle a new challenge. Very excited. Cut to, our first two days. Music rehearsal. Dance rehearsal. The room was filled with gorgeous singing voices and fluid dancing... shit... this is not in my wheelhouse. What the hell did I get myself into? Luckily, I already had so much technique from the training here to draw from. Movement and mask work with Charlie. Being gently reminded in Kyle's class, that it's not about you, it's about the other person. Picking out operative words, and chewing on consonants, with Eva. Dancing with Maria. Hearing Greg's voice in my head, "How do you want the other person to feel?" Years of tutorials with Linda, that not only gave me the confidence to call myself a singer, but actually sing on pitch. And most importantly, the countless hours of vocal work with Ursula. I had to be heard in the challenging space that is The Forum. (Still don't know how I ended up in there six times.) I had a vocal warm-up that not only gave strength to release my voice, openly and freely, but allowed me to keep my voice. And the confidence that I could do it again and again, eight times a week